Tajikistan Says Three Militants Killed Crossing Border From Afghanistan

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By RFE/RL’s Tajik Service
September 6, 2023

Tajikistan said it killed three members of a “terrorist group” who had crossed into the country from neighboring Afghanistan. The incident, announced on September 6 by the KDAM security service, was the second this year in the Central Asian country. The three crossed overnight on August 30, intending to “commit a terrorist act ahead of the Tajik national holiday” on September 9, the Kabar news agency quoted the KDAM as saying. The three, identified as natives of Tajikistan, were killed early on September 5. It wasn’t immediately possible to confirm the statement. The Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan has stoked fears of instability in Tajikistan.

Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 400, Washington DC 20036.

Taliban Denies Afghanistan Sending Female Athletes To Asian Games

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By RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi
September 6, 2023

Taliban officials have rejected reports that Afghanistan will send female athletes to the Asian Games in China later this month, saying all 133 athletes in the delegation being sent are male.

In reaction to a report on Reuters early on September 6, Ahmadullah Wasiq, the head of physical education and sport in the country, said in a written statement to RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi that it was not true that 17 athletes on the team were female.

Two years since it overran the country and ousted the Western-backed Afghan government, the hard-line Taliban has failed to live up to promises of moderation and has instead severely curbed women’s freedoms, waged a brutal crackdown on dissent, and reintroduced their brutal form of justice.

The Taliban’s theocratic de facto government has imposed restrictions on every aspect of life in Afghanistan, including people’s appearance, freedom of movement, right to work or study, and access to entertainment.

The result has been the crushing of female sport in the country, prompting many prominent women to flee the country.

The International Olympic Committee warned Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers in December that allowing women and young girls safe access to sport was a condition for the country’s representation at the 2024 Paris Games.

Reuters quoted a September 6 statement by Afghanistan’s National Olympic Committee that claimed that the country would send “a female group sports team comprising a total of 17 phenomenal women athletes.” It added that they would compete in three sports: athletics, cycling, and volleyball.

Wasiq said the statement quoted by Reuters on participation in the Asian Games, which will be held in Hangzhou, China, from September 23 to October 8, was not issued by the National Olympic Committee.

In a July report, UN experts said that the situation of girls and women in Afghanistan was the worst in the world and added that systematic restrictions on women and girls could amount to “gender apartheid.”

With reporting by Reuters

Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 400, Washington DC 20036.

Continued Arbitrary Arrests: Taliban Detain Two Students in Front of a School Gate in Kabul

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8am: Sources on Wednesday, September 6, spoke with Hasht-e Subh and revealed that these two students are named Mohammad Anwar and Naser. The Taliban detained them four days ago in front of the gate of “Khalilullah Khalili” School in the eleventh district of Kabul and transferred them to the custody of the group’s Intelligence Unit 40. These two students are originally from the Omarz and Tawakh areas of Panjshir province but currently reside in Kabul city. It is worth noting that in recent days, the Taliban have intensified the arrest of civilians in Kabul and the northern provinces of the capital. Click here to read more (external link).

Afghan and Pakistani forces clash at Torkham, crossing closed

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Ariana: Afghan and Pakistani forces clashed at Torkham border crossing on Wednesday, leading to the closure of the crossing, an Afghan official said. Arafat Muhajir, representative of the provincial directorate of information and culture in Torkham, said the clash began after Pakistani forces started establishing a post on Afghan soil. He said the first shot was fired by Pakistani forces. Click here to read more (external link).

Kamal ud-din Behzad Gallery in Herat closed for teaching calligraphy to girls

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Khaama: Kamal ud-din Behzad Gallery in Herat, Afghanistan, has been closed by the Department of Promotion and Virtue of Taliban due to teaching calligraphy to two young girls, sources said. Officials at the Behzad Gallery in Herat have told the media outlets that the gallery’s door has been shut down by the Taliban’s Department of Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice after 40 years of operation. Jalil Ahmad Tawana, the head of the Calligraphers Association in Herat province, has also confirmed this incident. Click here to read more (external link).

Karzai’s Relatives Confirm Ban On His Travel Abroad

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Hamid Karzai

Tolo News: Former president Hamid Karzai’s relatives confirmed there is a ban on Karzai’s travel abroad. “Karzai had received official invitations from three countries when he returned to Afghanistan from England, but he was not allowed to travel. As far as internal visits are concerned, Afghans come daily and their documents are checked by the security forces, then they are allowed to enter,” said Shahzada Masoud, a relative of Karzai. Click here to read more (external link).

Sri Lanka survive Afghanistan scare to reach Asia Cup Super Fours

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Ariana: Title-holders Sri Lanka outlasted a rampaging Afghanistan by just two runs in a dramatic finish to reach the Asia Cup Super Four stage on Tuesday. Needing to overhaul a target of 292 in 37.1 overs to oust Sri Lanka on net run-rate, Afghanistan fell agonizingly short as Mujeeb Ur Rahman holed out with three needed from the first ball of the 38th over, AFP reported. Click here to read more (external link).

Taliban Assault Residents and Torch Their Motorcycles in Ghor Province

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8am: In a recent incident, Taliban fighters carried out a violent attack in Ghor Province, brutally assaulting several residents and setting their motorcycles ablaze, as reported by local sources. One local resident, who wished to remain anonymous, revealed that the Taliban fighters had been personally gathering yam plants from the mountains and profiting from their sale. However, this activity has been met with resistance from the local residents, resulting in confrontations and violence against the populace. Yam, a plant commonly found in the mountainous terrain of Ghor Province, has been exploited by the Taliban in recent years to manufacture a type of methamphetamine known as “shisha.” Click here to read more (external link).

UN Security Council: The Taliban Are Interfering in Humanitarian Activities

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8am:  According to the report, the Taliban have interfered in humanitarian activities and have also damaged humanitarian assets and facilities. Delays in signing agreements and interference in staff hiring are among the factors contributing to the suspension of humanitarian activities by aid organizations. The report indicates that 95% of the Taliban’s restrictions have been motivated by gender considerations, resulting in the temporary suspension of eight programs. The Taliban’s interference and obstruction of humanitarian aid have been among the major concerns of the global community in the past two years. Before the Security Council report, the United States Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) had expressed concerns about the level of Taliban interference in the distribution of humanitarian aid and the United Nations’ inability to protect its programs. SIGAR stated that the Taliban have diverted humanitarian aid in Afghanistan for their own benefit. Click here to read more (external link).

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